Last Night's Scandal by Loretta Chase Read Free Book Online Page A

himself—heart and mind and soul—to Egypt a long time ago.
    “He won’t miss it,” she said.
    Atherton House
    The same evening
    “Oh, Peregrine, how could you?” Lady Atherton wailed. “Brawling! Like a common ruffian! In the Strand, of all places, for all the world to see!” She turned to her husband. “You see, Jasper? This is what comes of leaving Rupert Carsington in charge of him for all these years.”
    That was completely illogical. Lisle had been getting into fights for as long as he could remember. He hadn’t needed any guidance from Uncle Rupert in that department. He’d never in his life run from a fight, no matter who the adversary or how big or how many. Never had, never would.
    “You’ve turned into a savage!” his father raged. “You cannot even present a paper to the Society of Antiquaries without instigating a riot.”
    “Hardly a riot,” Lisle said. “More like a scuffle. The papers have more interesting matters to report.”
    “The newspapers like nothing better than lurid stories about men fighting over Olivia Carsington,” Mama said. “I cannot believe you let her make a fool of you, too. I am mortified .
    How shall I face my friends after this? How shall I hold my head up?” She sank onto the chaise longue and burst into tears.
    “This is what comes of indulging your Egyptian nonsense,” said Father. “Well, I’m putting a stop to it, once and for all. Until I see a glimmer of filial duty, a semblance of gentlemanly behavior, you shall not get another farthing from me.” Lisle stared at him for a moment. He’d expected a scene, naturally. He would have been shocked if his parents had not ranted and raved.
    But this was new. He wasn’t sure he’d heard aright. Like other noblemen’s sons, Lisle was utterly dependent on his father financially. Money was all he got from his parents. They’d never given him affection or understanding. Those the Carsingtons gave him, abundantly.
    But he couldn’t go to the Carsingtons for money.
    “You’re cutting me off?” he said.
    “You’ve mocked us, ignored us, used us, and abused our generosity,” Father said. “We’
    ve borne it all patiently, but this time you’ve gone too far. You’ve embarrassed your mother.” On cue, his mother fainted.
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    “This is mad,” Lisle said. “How am I to live?”
    His father hurried to his mother’s side to administer smelling salts. “If you want money, you’ll do as other gentlemen do,” he said as he tenderly lifted Mother’s head from the pillow onto which it had conveniently fallen. “You’ll respect your parents’ wishes. You’ll go to Scotland as we ask, and you’ll assume responsibility for once in your life. You’ll go to Egypt again over my dead body!”
    L isle didn’t come to dinner, after all. Late in the afternoon, Olivia received a note from him: If I come to dinner, I’ll have to kill somebody. Best to keep away. You’re probably in enough trouble.
    L
    She wrote back:
    It isn’t safe to Write. Meet me at Hyde Park Corner. Tomorrow. Ten o’clock in the Morning. DO NOT FAIL ME.
    O
    Hyde Park
    The following morning
    Only a few years ago, London’s most fashionable gentlemen could be counted on to take a stroll in Hyde Park every morning, then return at the fashionable hour, between five and seven o’clock in the afternoon.
    These days a stroll in the forenoon was not merely unfashionable but vulgar .
    Morning was, therefore, the perfect time for a Clandestine Rendezvous, as Olivia would have written in one of her missives.
    She was late, naturally, and Lisle had never been good at waiting. But he forgot his impatience when she came into view, a great pale blue plume waving from the top of her hat like a banner carried into battle. She wore a riding dress of military cut, of a deep blue that matched her eyes.
    The low slant of morning sun caught the curly hair escaping the